How to Choose the Right Backpack

Firstly, when you start looking for the ideal backpack keep in mind that there is no perfect backpack to suit all your backpacking activities. You will probably end up purchasing more than one backpack, each suited to a specific backpack activity and duration of hike.

Having a backpack that is well suited to your body size is an essential part of your hiking preparation. Ignoring this point may cause you discomfort or even lead to back injury in the future.

When purchasing a good backpack you basically have a choice of two i.e. Internal and External Frame. The External Frame backpack is recognized by its visual framing, with its suspension and backpack section attached to the frame. The Internal Frame backpack has its framing sewn into the backpacks main section. This framing may be of carbon fiber, plastic or metal rods. Other Internal Frame backpacks are comprised of a single solid plastic sheet instead of the traditional framing rods and more recently corrugated polystyrene sheeting with aluminum rods inserted in the corrugations. Backpack companies are becoming more innovative in their backpack design to cater for the increasing demands for a lighter pack that can carry a heavier load. When choosing a backpack you will need to consider the following advantages and disadvantages.

Firstly the advantages of an External Frame backpack is that they are rigid, typically easier to pack because of the numerous pockets available and the provision for attaching additional items to the frame for easy access. They are ideal for carrying heavy loads and provide a greater air space between the frame and your back allowing a better airflow than that of Internal Frame backpacks. The disadvantage of the External Frame backpack due to its wider and taller dimensions has a very high centre of gravity and when fully loaded creates a less-stable profile than that of an Internal Frame backpack.

The advantages of the Internal Frame backpack model is that they are more comfortable and the backpack weight is more evenly distributed across your back as opposed to the External Frame backpack, which only makes contact with a few areas of your back. Internal Frame backpacks are functional and provide good stability due to their close fitting to your body’s profile, this ‘close fitting’ provides a better balance and increases your ability to manoeuvre over rugged terrain. Their slim profile also allows greater flexibility to tackle those tighter spots encountered on your hike. Their disadvantages are typically the lack of additional pockets and that the air flow is not as good as the External Frame backpack generating a higher level of heat against your back.

Making a bad purchase decision will have a negative impact on your overall backpacking experience so do your due diligence here and take your time in making your decision.

Once you have decided on the type of backpack you want to purchase the next decision is to know what length your backpack should be. For this exercise you will need the help of a friend.

First locate your 7th vertebra; this is the small bony hump at the base of your neck located between your shoulders. Place a piece of tape to mark this point. Second, locate the point at the small of your back that is level with the top of your hips and mark that point with a piece of tape also. Now get your friend to measure the distance between the two marked points and note the measurement. Your torso will fall into three backpack categories, small (under 18in/45cm), medium (18-20in/45-50cm) and large (21in/52cm upwards). If your length is just on 18in/45cm for example then choose the medium size pack, as this will allow more room for adjustments.

With the length of the backpack now sorted the next consideration is the volume or carrying capacity of the backpack. This decision is dependent of what type of hiking you will be involved with. A daypack ranges from 945 to 2206 cu inches (15 to 35 litres). A midsize pack range is from 2206 to 4412 cu inches (35 to 70 litres) and may be used for overnight camping. Finally the expedition backpacks start from 3781 cu inches (60 litres) and upwards. The larger expedition backpacks carry enough gear to allow you to stay on the trail for many days.

Backpack Straps/Belts:

Simple shoulder straps will suffice for lighter loads but for heavier loads choose the wider and well-padded shoulder straps to prevent discomfort to the shoulder area.

A Chest/Sternum Strap helps to prevent your shoulders from being pulled back and assists with load distribution.

Upper stabiliser straps do just that, stabilise the upper part of the backpack

The hip belts of a backpack should cup your hips and when they are tightened should not touch or overlap each other. Shoulder straps should be secured to the backpack just below the 7th vertebra and near the top of the shoulders. They should be comfortable but securely wrapped around the shoulders with the strap padding not being less than 5in/12.5cm below the armpits. (If you are purchasing a small sized day backpack, they usually do not have a hip belt but as the load capacity increases so does the need for a hip belt). A hip belt assists in load distribution from your shoulders to your hips. Make sure the padding of the hip belt is soft and of a decent width to provide comfortable support and that it goes full circle under the lumbar pad and is not just attached to the sides of the backpack.

Before trying out your backpack you will need to know how much weight you will be carrying.This again is dependant on the duration of your hiking trip, i.e. day hiking, overnight or three to five day hiking.

Testing your Backpack:

Start by loading up the pack with the test weight items at the outdoor store. All outdoor stores should have weights and fillers for load testing, these weights may not be ideal but do your best to distribute the weight evenly. Use a load weight near to the weight you would normally carry on a hike. (If this is your first backpack purchase then before you go to the outdoor store lay out all what you would need for your hiking trip at home then place them in a light plastic bag and weigh them. If you have a large amount of items then divide your items into smaller weighable groups.)

The next step after that you have loaded the backpack and it is a good fit is to put it to the test by walking around the store, bending over, jogging a short distance, moving from side to side, touching your toes, walking up and down the stairs, try anything that will assist you in your decision making. Throughout these actions the backpack should remain stable and tight fitting. It should not feel loose or cause you to go off balance (that is if it is packed well). Pay attention to the weight of the load that it is being evenly distributed and that no excess weight is felt in any one place. Good packs provide the flexibility to distribute the weight to your hips, lower back and shoulders by adjusting the backpacks hip or shoulder straps. Experiment by loosening and then tightening the hip and shoulder straps to test the backpacks ability to re-distribute the backpacks weight. Each position should feel comfortable.

These test runs will give you a feel for the backpacks suitability. Inquire if you can try it out at home packed with your own gear and return it if it does not meet your requirements. If you cannot return the backpack then be certain that it is well suited to your bodies profile before handing over your money or locate an outdoor store that does have a return policy.

Extra Backpack Features:

Hydration System:

Many backpacks have either built in water bladders or a designated pocket for a water bladder

Splash Cover:

Backpacks are not usually 100% waterproof so some backpacks have a built in or separate splash cover which is a waterproof cover that you can use to cover your entire backpack. This feature will keep your backpack dry during rainstorms, river crossings and provide protection from the night’s dew.